As young children learn to write effectively, major goals include using writing to communicate, to persuade, to inform, to learn, to reflect, to learn about one’s self, and to entertain others.
Ways to motivate struggling and reluctant writers include offering freedom of choice and creating opportunities for writing that are not associated with assessment.
Key ingredients for comprehension include an understanding of how the mechanics of reading work, reasonable spoken language skills, knowledge of the world, and motivation.
